Arkansas Election Board Approves Ballot Rule Changes

The state Board of Election Commissioners has approved emergency rules about absentee voters that contradict what Arkansas' attorney general has said before.

The board endorsed the rules Friday about absentee ballots for voter identification. They allow voters who did not submit required identification with their absentee ballot to turn in the documents for their vote to be counted by noon Monday following an election.

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has said that absentee voters, excluding first-time voters, shouldn't be given more time because Arkansas' law does not address it.

Supporters say that because one group of absentee voters can cast a provisional ballot while one group can't, the rule changes are needed. Opponents say they exceed the board's authority to establish rules on the voter identification law.